“I would like to think that [the track program] could change.” McQuaid said. “I will certainly sit down with the international Olympic committee and discuss the possibilities.”

“The IOC have in recent years been very rigid in relation to the number of athletes, the number of disciplines and the number of sports. And they haven’t been too generous in allowing any sports [to have] new events.”

Cycling currently has 18 Olympic medals on it’s schedule, ten on the track, four on the road, two in mountain bike and two in BMX.

The Olympic cycling schedule has constantly changed over the years, most recently with the track disciplines. To bring in BMX for the 2008 Games the UCI had to drop two track events, and chose to take the kilometre and 500m time trials (for men and women respectively) out.

For London 2012 the events were changed again. The UCI rightly brought equality across the events for men and women, bringing in women’s team pursuit, team sprint and keirin, and the omnium for both men and women. To achieve this within the rigid IOC athlete and medal quotas they had to drop the points race, madison, and individual pursuit.

It was the loss of the individual pursuit that caused the biggest uproar. It has always been track cycling’s blue riband event, equivalent to the 800m in athletics. The list of winners dates back to 1964, it was simple to understand and has an illustrious list of past winners. McQuaid wouldn’t however be drawn on which event would be chosen should they be successful in gaining an extra track event.

Some of the teams in London had been talking about the kilometre time trial, last won by Chris Hoy in Athens 2004, making a return for Rio.

McQuaid also said that he believed the inclusion of the six event omnium was a success in London. “I think it worked well as an event, it added to the program. Without it we would have had a program over three days. LOCOG wanted more days, if we could have given LOCOG ten days on the program they would have taken it.”

“The response from the athletes was good and even tonight there was drama in the final event, it gave good excitement to everyone. We will look at [the omnium] from a technical point of view [to see if] we would change any aspects of it or the points system or whatever.”

He went on to confirm the track commission would look at all aspects of the track program, including the rules on the team sprint which hit the headlines on the opening night when the British and Chinese teams were relegated for initiating their change before the designated area. “Our sport always has been one that evolves, rules change and rules are improved on the basis of experience,” he said.

Ken Evans

It doesn’t matter what events you have,
if the judging is appalling, then you might as well not have the races.

The lead-judge didn’t seem to have ever raced a bike himself,
or ridden on the track.

It also appeared if he had a bias against the GB Team,
and Pendleton.
The management of the female team-sprint,
and the female sprint, were a disgrace.
That Pat McQuaid allowed this to happen,
shows that he is not fit to lead the UCI.

Before instant slow-motion video replay,
judging was much more common-sense.

The keirin, and the sprint, have been very watered down,
and made much less physical.

Stay

Very much agree with Terry, I would have liked to see Vicky Pendleton nudge Mears off the podium and see how she likes that ! If you’re sick of the repetitive olympic coverage on the internet then definitely check these videos out… http://bit.ly/olmVd

Paul Donnelly

I’d like to see the UCI stand up to the IOC on the one-competitor-per-country issue. In athletics, who wouldn’t want to see Yohan Blake race against Usain Bolts. So why are cycling fans denied the potential to see, say, Jason Kenny race against Chris Hoy? Plus, this situation demeans the value of the silver medal. The 2nd placed rider is now merely the 2nd fastest from another country Come on UCI, let’s see the true competition between the best riders in the world rather than the feeble attempts by the IOC to manipulate the medal outcomes (and dominance?) of one country. It hasn’t worked anyway!

HOWIE BOLT

LETS FACE IT,THE REASON THE UCI DROPED SOME GOOD TRACK EVENTS, KILO,IND PURSUIT,ETC,IT,S BECAUSE WE WON LOADS IN BEIGING……WE STILL WON LOADS IN LONDON, SO STICK THAT IN YER,WHEREVER UCI…..OH YEA WE WON THE RR,CAV ET AL, OH YEA WE WON THE GREATEST BIKE RACE IN THE WORLD THE TOUR DE FRANCE,[NOW ITS CLEAN],WIGGO AND TEAM SKY.YEA WIGGO SHOULD BE KNIGHTED,BUT SO SHOULD DAVID BRAILSFORD.JELOUSY,IT SEEMS IS RIFE….HAHAHA.

Terry

As usual, ignoring the elephant in the room that allows one competitor to force another to be dg’d and get off scott free.
The priority must be to clarify the rules before fiddling with the programme.
Then bring back the Individual pursuit ??

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